During a surgical procedure on a limb, it is of utmost importance to keep everything sterile to ensure the patient does not pick up any disease-causing germs. Therefore, prior to the surgical procedure, the limb is commonly “prepped” in the operating room by a nurse. In this prepping process, an assistant holds the limb, and a nurse then wipes the limb with a topical antiseptic, such as a chlorhexidine solution or Betadine®. (Betadine® is a registered trademark of Purdue Products, L.P. of Stamford, Conn.). Once the antiseptic dries, the limb is ready for the surgical procedure.
The disadvantage of this prepping process is that it requires using two persons, making the prep work labor-intensive. Furthermore, this prepping process requires about 20 to 30 minutes of operating room time, which significantly adds to the cost of the surgical procedure. In addition, this prepping process can also be messy.
Thus, there is a need for an improved system for surgical limb prep.